Category: Society

I will like to consider myself a conscious traveller when visiting new places especially if those places (countries) have had interactions in the past with my beloved Africa (Afrique). This impetus was first imbibed in me as a student visiting Hong Kong in the early 2000s; we were doing late night crawling in Kowloon night market when the local police jumped out of their vans with batons to round up Chinese from the mainland for deportation. I wonder if this still occurs today since Beijing now has full control over the former British enclave.

This is in parallel to what I witnessed on a recent trip to Paris and suburbs – the City of Love. I like to look and feel beyond the aesthetic beauty of the Eiffel and the lovely boutiques displaying their arrays of luxury items on the Champs Elysees or the charming and soothing view of the River Seine.

On my many trips to this great city I have always chosen to stay and visit the beauty spots only; however, I decided to take the family to other parts especially where the Africans resides legally and illegally – Chateau Rouge.

Oh Boy, I must say I was disappointed. My disappointed primarily lies with Africa. A continent that has continually allowed ethnic, religion and political issues; be it internal or externally imposed to stalled our developments and greatness thus allowing our young men and women to take huge personal risks to sojourn across the Sahara to conflicted Libya for further voyage to become unwanted labourers in another man’s country with no documentation.

What does it mean to live in a country where you have no status?

It means no right to live, no right to education, no right to welfare, in essence no right to LIFE thereby casting aspersion on the Universal Suffrage the city of Paris is known for. This further illustrates why these young men will take more risks by jumping into Lorries at Calais to cross the channel into Dover. If I ignorantly did not understand in the past, I do now. Any man would take such risk, because the bottom line is you die penniless on the streets in the City of Love. It appears the city of love is not reciprocating love to the illegals in Chateau Rouge.

Equally, was also disappointed to see police harassing and conducting raids in the markets where these ordinary people are trying to earn a living by selling roasted corn to their fellow kinsfolk.

Generally, any city of international reckoning will also have its own dark underbelly exposed by events as has been demonstrated across major cities from Grenfell in London, to protests in Charlottesville and more.

My summation is two-fold. Firstly, in other to stem the flow of illegal immigration to the west; the western nations (France, Britain, Germany) must not only use their influence to effect positive political changes but must move sincerely to remove the remaining invisible shackles of colonization that still restrict Africa from real development and freedom.

Secondly, African authorities and her people must move beyond real or ‘imagined’ issues of ethnicity, tribal affiliations and endemic corruption to know that it is the continent that bears the lost when her youths are roaming aimlessly and rudderless in countries that refused them legal entry.

This proverb implies that when a child is born, the entire community bears the responsibilities towards the upbringing and rearing of the child. They will ensure that he or she is equipped with the norms, traditions and customs of the land. The name given to the child will be in accordance with the family profession or line of work such as if they were goldsmiths, warriors, hunters or royalty.

The tribal marks below signifies the family edicts and origins of the tribes. In traditional Yoruba societies, every child is born into a patrilineal clan called idile baba in Yoruba language. The clan share clan names (orile), oriki (poetry), taboos (eewo) and facial marks (ila). The facial marks on the child assigns the child full clan membership rights. The children with facial marks are called Okola. Families or individuals lacking the normal features consistent with the tribe are not considered as acquiring full standing as agents in Yoruba society. They would also lack the capacity for meaningful behavior, such as greeting, stating and commanding.

I must now say that these practices have now largely ceased in accordance with Child Rights Law across the land (a ban I totally support).

I sighed heavily though because now in the modern era, a lot of this precepts that gave us ‘true identity’ has now been eroded largely in part by colonialism and the unfortunate transatlantic voyages did untold and irreversible damages.

This brings me to the issue of immigration. Migrating from one part of the globe to another is what the world was built upon. People across centuries have always fled to various parts because of religious intolerance and persecutions, wars and conflicts. Some migrated because of trade in spices and commodities (such as the Silk Road), others fled because of natural phenomenon such as adverse weathers, rising sea levels, earthquakes and so on.

Humans like other species have constantly been on the move. We ‘humans’ are not created to be stagnant, we are ‘moving’ beings. Hence, it will be helpful to bear this in mind over this contentious immigrants debates in the West. Perhaps, we must ask ourselves, what role did our ancestors or (nature) play that has now resulted in having someone of different breed and colour has your neighbour, doctor, accountant or even as a lover!

The crust of my observations is that in light of modernity and enlightenment, we must hold on to the practices and customs that gave us our true meaning as a race, or culture. An example is that here in the west, there is the concept of ‘live and let live‘ – an idiom expressing the ideal of allowing each other to live their lives as each sees fit. However, sometimes this does not ring true in some cultures hence the reason for lack of assimilation and integrations in some communities.

As an African (plus a Brit I must say), I get frustrated when I see some (and I say some in terms of few) African descents not living to the ideals of their proud origin. Frustratingly in the sense, that if we cannot correct or teach them to the norms of what is expected in fear of evading somebody space. This meant that for us as a community we have been rendered powerless in raising our children (and our neighbours children) for fear of retribution.

In drawing to a close, we must seek to respect everybody’s rights (old and young) equally, however that respects also infers correction where it is needed. It is our collective societies that looses out in the end, if we do not correct bad behaviours in our several communities be it in the black, white or Asian communities.

Finally, the best antidote to this looming immigration issues is partly economic developments and good governance in the affected countries. People will rather stay in their own land to be part of the growth story and live their lives in accordance to their beliefs.

The very sad incidents over the last month has cast long dark shadows over my city of London, and the moods of the people have generally been muted. The fire at Grenfell Tower has shown the dark underbelly of a first class city, in which the local authority response was ineffectual in the early days, however the response of the public was beyond commendable.

We have all come together in small and big gestures of love and community esprit to send a message of our unyielding standing and stance with those who made it out of the inferno. My heart still bleeds for all the unaccountable victims of this tragedy, and others at the Manchester Arena, London Bridge and Finsbury Park mosque.

These occurrences have exposed deep issues within our communities. As it can be in any relationship there will be conflicts, and measures must be taken to resolve these issues.

I will make my assertions clear below using marriage as an analogue –

Marriage as well as society are interchangeable, they are birds of the same feathers and both goes through a period of togetherness and conflicts at times.

I grew up in and around West London back in the noughties – a few miles from Grenfell, and it had an atmosphere of tolerance, in comparison to other parts of London. This acceptance and inclusion was partly praised for a lot of the media houses (such as the BBC, EMI) established in the area which brings a lot of liberal minds into the community and also does employs a number of locals of which I was a beneficiary (I spent two years at the Beeb working on the production of factual programmes such as Top Gear amongst many others).

In addition, there are the wealthy enclaves in the surrounding areas of Chiswick, Fulham, Holland Park, Notting Hill to Bayswater and it does not matter where you are from in the area, you felt like you belong. We all ate Jerk chicken at the Ochi take-away in Shepherds Bush after a night of clubbing in the West End, after getting off Bus 94 from Regents Street or 207 from Trafalgar Square (oh I must say this was also the best era of music, we are talking about the like of Jodeci, LLCoolJ, Mary J Blige, Oasis, Blur and the likes, even the Spice Girls) and no one goes into the club strapped with a weapon. How times have changed right!

What is my point here? Things have changed, attitudes have changed, the people have changed; partly blamed on new arrivals and most importantly gentrification. Gentrification in the sense, the BBC has moved on (to Salford City, Manchester) and sold the studio and offices for conversion to luxury flats and boutique hotels. What is the cost-benefit analysis to the residents by having luxury hotels on their doorsteps instead of a behemoth employer like the BBC? What is the loss to the residents of White City, Harlseden, Latimer Road, North Acton, Ladbroke Grove who rely on the BBC for their sustenance. Yes, other companies have shoot up in the area, but cannot be compared to an employer that employs thousands of residents.

What can the local authorities do and the government at large, (as in marriage) we cannot avoid conflict, we cannot ignore the issues otherwise the ‘sleeping lion’ will lay for a while until resurrected into something more destructive as we have witness recently. We must stop looking at the less priviledge as a nuisance to the system, those who have (the have-yachts) must invest locally and share their resources with the locals to resolve conflicts and use their resources to build a prosperous local economy.

We must note that the people are only reacting in the way they are (as anyone would with this senseless loss of souls), because they felt no empathy from the authorities. Empathy allows us to develop deeper understanding and insights into people’s daily issues and to come up with good lasting solutions.

In conclusion, local and national unresolved issues must be dealt with promptly through the set up of community-led public inquiry. Trust must be restored, it cannot be artificial. Real trust is what the local residents needs at this point.

This is my tribute to those who lost their lives in this horrible tragedy.

Hmmm I hear you say… I’ve been looking to bring this notion into the public light. Why would I utter such a bold statement?

I happened to work in an industry where the ratio of women to men is 10:1 (lucky dude I hear you say). I am fortunate, in the sense that it has helped me in a number of ways to understand women and issues that concerns women in society at large. Let me make my assertions below –

Women talk or should I say women can talk! In my office, my ear is constantly ringing about delicious topics such as how well the date went with John over the weekend, fake eyelashes, glutes expansion, brazilian hair or which make-up brand is better suited to different shades and texture of skin types. In fact, I have a product in mind to launch to serve this growing market.

How has it made me a better man? It has in the sense that on occasion where I have been invited to contribute to their discussions, I have to do it from an empathetic standpoint. I cannot be too macho about it or too dismissive, if for example it is an emotional topic such as a relationship that has gone sour or other emotive subjects.

It has allowed me to be respectful towards women (1) because I value their strength and assertiveness (maybe I have a twinkle for a woman with power perhaps) (2) some are go-getters (some have moved from small towns or other restrictive countries and they are now thriving in the big city with a prosperous career which in turn challenges us men to want to continue to flourish as well and to attain more).

How has this knowledge translated or transplanted into my own relationship? Simply, I have learnt to just ‘shut up’. Truly, I have learnt to listen and to be more understanding; and a realisation that men don’t always have the answers. To get the best out of a relationship (and working with women is to work collaboratively), you need to mull over the details and figures, sometimes it can lead to ‘analysis paralysis’ but it is well intended as we must avert risks at all costs.

It has helped me to be a well-rounded individual thus allowing me to broaden my horizons and learn about other topics. For example, I recently encouraged all women in my circle of influence to vote in the UK elections, as I made a point that women were not allowed to vote in the UK until 1918 (1920 in the US, and African-Americans not until 1965).

To conclude, I will state that my masculinity has not been diminished with the rise of feminism rather it has been enhanced by it, as it has allowed me to value my own strength and my own vision. Society will be better served if we sometimes look at issues from a woman’s viewpoint.

I am a father to two boys and I am raising them on this personal motto: To respect a lady is to respect yourself.

Do you have a contrary view? All feedbacks, share, comments are welcome.

I believe the title above sums up the mood for this unnecessary snap election. In the last two years, the same party has thrown away its landslide victory and advantages for getting the nation’s finances in balance by calling for a referendum in the midst of austerity cuts and so on.

GENERAL ELECTION: HUNG PARLIAMENT CONFIRMED

PARTY

SEATS

+/-

VOTES

VOTE SHARE

% +/-

Conservative

316

-12

13,568,716

42.4

+5.5%

Labour

261

+29

12,824,737

40.1

+9.5

SNP

35

-21

977,569

3.1

-1.7

Lib Dem

12

+4

2,327,425

7.3

-0.5

DUP

10

+2

292,316

0.9

+0.3

Plaid Cymru

4

+1

164,466

0.5

-0.1

Green

1

0

523,269

1.6

-2.1

UKIP

0

-1

593,852

1.9

-10.8

My opinionated view is that the conservative party should have embarked on policies that will impact positively on people’s lives rather than seeking a huge mandate to govern or focusing too much on the Brexit negotiations (a soft brexit will be better for the country in the long run!). The populace understood that cuts have to be made, but introducing policies for the elderly to sell their homes to pay for an inefficient social care package amongst a badly rushed-out manifesto is a stretch too far.

What lesson(s) can be drawn from this result – I will advise the government that we are not going to get the perfect Brexit deals as there are other external factors that are now in play. First of all, we have a pro-EU leader in France, meaning that there is no #Frexit, nor #Grexit on the table. It appears that EU leaders are now waking up from their grandeur Brussels palaces that the people will vote against unpopular policies in individual nation states. Secondly, Trump America’s isolationism (Paris Climate Accord – a case in point) will strengthen EU leaders to get their house in order as recently noted by Chancellor Angela Merkel about the US reliability as an ally.

Other interesting notions I have drawn is that, as in in life as well as in politics, you cannot count yourself out of the game. No matter your current circumstances, you never know what tide will carry you in or out of the sea of life.

As emphasised by a man that I adore, Warren Buffet (the Sage of Omaha) said “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked”. The tide has certainly gone out for conservative’s Auntie Theresa. Will Uncle Corbyn be ridden in on a tide of real change and hope. Well, we have to wait for the next elections maybe in six months time as I wrote in one of my blogs dated 17th May 2017 – Elections, elections and more elections – democracy galore!

Children’s lives have now been altered forever. The innocence that parents see in their offspring’s that sometimes make them to chuckle with silent pride and joy are now evaporating before their eyes.

Let me explain, the danger children encounters the world over are now truly global literally. In the years past, children in the West or in affluent economies or societies are shielded from the political and economic reality that children in other countries are exposed to on a daily basis.

Yes, you may say that children in the west are not exposed to child labour forcing them to work in an unregulated mine or in the plantation fields.

Yes, you may say children here are not being forcibly conscripted into a hidden militia in a despotic land or that they are not being put onto a dinghy boat to cross the rough waters of the Mediterranean Sea to safety and to seek refuge.

All of these are as a result of the politico-socio-economic failings in those countries, and children exposed to these elements are paying a huge price with their young lives.

Let me emphasize my point, the same politico-socio-economic assertions are impacting the lives of children negatively in the west as well, albeit differently. They are being impacted through the austere cuts to families and policing, security concerns; cyber-bullying…the lists goes on.

Children are no longer shielded from the impact of discrimination, intolerance and their ill-effects in their environments – they see it daily in the news, they hear it daily whilst playing innocently on the school playground. They see it planted on their mothers’ faces; they can hear it in the doubtful voices of the grannies and uncles. Oh no! The innocence has gone. CHILDREN HAVE BECOME ADULTS.

Our generation have let the youth down all over the world, as we have not taken enough responsibilities to confront the division in societies be it at home or abroad. We have done what we do best which is to transfer difficulties of our times to future generations. An example is the mortgaged-backed securities of the 2000s (2008 Financial Crisis), governments have borrowed to the hilt to avert those crises, only for the unborn to come into this world to pay it off.

What can we do individually and as a community to lessen the exposure that children faces all over the world. Yes, we must hold governments accountable to their part of the bargain to protect us and to create an enabling environment for children to grow up and to fulfil their potentials in safety and ease.

We must remember that these children are the policy-makers and leaders of tomorrow, and they will only enact laws and policies through the prism of their own childhood lenses.

I shed tears for the children of Manchester and around the world in this current climate of fear.

It is high time I challenge my own liberal views (I studied International Relations as a postgraduate @warwick – since then I have shaped my world views from a realism standpoint). However, in this current climate, I am coming round to the notion that I want my vote in this UK General Elections on June 8th to count.

How does this fit into my main topics such as health, lifestyle, fitness, travel etc; please allow my indulgence.

It first started with the GOP conventions across the pond in America, followed by our French neighbours across the channel and various austerity-induced parties in continental Europe springing up and gaining seats (not to talk of our supposedly Brexit – I was a Remainer). Nobody told us that it will cost us £100 billion to come out of this union! Well, as a Brit we just have to get on with it, don’t we!

Let me quickly cross over to motherland (Nigeria to be precise), I will say to those stakeholders at the seat of power that you must handle this ongoing issue with a lot of gusto. The Vice president role is not a co-ordinator of government, although it is partly, the primary function of this role is to lead in an acting capacity in the absence of the president (I wish PMB well). I will say, let us do the right thing for a change for Nigeria and Africa at large; afterall it is you the so-called elites that will continue to benefit regardless.

This brings me back to blighty (an informal term for Britain), the people are angry because it seems as if governments here and around the globe are against the citizens. Government policies Versus the People

Let me moan please, this government increased taxation on my side hustle in April, cutting off an important source of income to reside in one of the most expensive cities in the world and the opposition party is talking of raising more taxes whilst living in London. C’mon, somebody give me a break.

Taxes are important and essential if we want to enjoy the daily necessities such as good roads, NHS, schools, care for the elderly, infrastructure etc… and we do see evidence of improvements in some areas.

However, the people are still angry because there is no safety net for the working class anymore; some industrial cities have become ghost towns and are now blighted with substance abuse, families structure are now broken, there are many households and entire streets without any form of paid employment, senseless killings of young people by young people perhaps due to absent fathers, lack of proper policing, lack of discipline and respect at home (sorry for being judgemental!). In addition, there are no real consequences for the offenders across the board – a slap on the wrist at the most due to our liberalism emphasis on rehabilitation.

To sum up, I believe governments must make ambitious investments for the future, but must also balance the needs of the people especially those that contribute to the treasury coffers.

If you are in the UK, are you voting? Please refer to the voter’s registration below and if you are reading this blog anywhere else in the world, please hold your governments accountable with your votes.

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